Snagging devices for strands



Feb. 14, 1961 s. E. HENNING SNAGGING DEVICES FOR STRANDS Filed 001;. 2, 1959 INVENTOR G. E. HENN/NC United States Patent SNAGGING DEVICES FOR STRANDS George E. Henning, Baltimore, Md., assignor to Western Electric Company, Incorporated, New York, N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed Oct. 2, 1959, Ser. N 843,964

Claims. (Cl. 242-25) in which an elongated, conductive core or conductor is advanced continuously from a supply thereof to and through a series of manufacturing apparatus or processes,

such as continuous extrusion apparatus, to produce a finished insulated conductor. operation may continue without interruption or disturbance, it is common practice to employ take-up apparatus having two or more rotatable take-up reels onto which predetermined lengths of finished insulated conductors arewound successively. When a predetermined length of insulated conductor has been wound upon one of the takeup reels, the advancing insulated conductor is transferred to an empty take-up reel without interrupting the advancement of the. insulated conductor emerging from the ex-' trusion apparatus.

Means are connected operatively to adjacent sides of each of the take-up reels for grippingportions of the insulated conductor extending between the reels, when the distribution of the insulated conductor is transferred from one reel to another. The portion of the insulated conductor extending between the reels is cut by a conventional knife positioned between the reels in the path formed by the extending portion of the insulated conductor as the reels continue to rotate during the transfer of the distribution of the insulated conductor. A trailing end of the insulated conductor, formed by the severed portion, is secured to the reel filled with the desired amount, and a new leading end of the insulated conductor to be reeled on the empty reel is secured thereto.

in the past difi'iculties have been encountered in removing the strand or filamentary material from the conventional snagging devices when removing the filled reels from the take-up apparatus. In some instances it is necessary to pry the materia loose which results in damage to the snagging device. Therefore, it is desirable to have snagging devices from which the insulated conductor, caught therein, can be removed without damaging the device.

It is an object of the present invention toprovide new and improved snagging devices utilized on take-up or strand reeling apparatus.

Another object of the present invention is to provide new and improved snaggingdevices for strand take-up apparatus which will permit continuous reeling of a strand beingdelivered to the take-up apparatus from a previous manufacturing process and permit transfer of the distribution of the strand being wound upon a take-up reel, 2; aboutto become filled,,to an empty take-upreel without.

In order that the extrusion Y 2,971,713 Patented Feb. 14, 1961 stopping the take-up apparatus or interrupting the advancement of the strand through the previous manufacturing process.

' A further object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved snagging device from which the strand or filamentary material can be removed. readily without damaging the device. Y

in attaining these and other objects, a new and improved snagging device for strand material, embodying certain features of the present invention, may include a removably mounted, rotatably driven take-up reel having a flange on one end thereof, a rotatable snagging disc having a pivotally mounted, outwardly projecting element extending in the direction of rotation of the disc to form a snagging tooth, and resilient means urging the projecting snagging tooth against the adjacent flange of the associated take-up reel to form a clamp for the strand material. The tooth formed by the resiliently biased, projecting e'ement is capable of being forced resiliently away from the flange of the reel, when the strand material is caught by the tooth and forced between the tooth and the flange of the reel which cooperate to form the clamp.

Other objects and features of the invention will be more readily understood from the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary,sectional view of a portion of a take-up apparatus embodying certain features of the present invention with portions broken away for purposes of clarity;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged, fragmentary, sectional view of a snagging device of the take-up apparatus illustrated in Fig. 1, taken along line 2-2thereof, and

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary, sectionalview of the snagging device of Fig. .Ztaken along line 3-.3 thereof. 1 Referring now to the drawings, and more particularly .to Fig. 1 thereof, there is shown a take-up apparatus, designated generally by-the numeral 10, which is of the same general construction and operated in a manner similar to that disclosed in application Serial No. 725,943, filed On April 2, 1958 in the name of B. C. Ellis, in, now Patent 2,946,527.

The take-up apparatus 10 is utilized for reeling a strand 11 without interruption, and includes an inverted U-shaped frame 12 and a thin, rigid support member 13 .located centrally between two take-up reels, designated general y by the numerals 14 -14. The

reels l t-14 are secured to associated snagger discs, designated generally by the numerals 16-16, by appropriate means. Each of the snagger discs 16-16 are driven by appropriate means, (not shown) through a separate belt 17.

The strand 11 may be, for example, an insulated conductor delivered at a substantially constant rate from a continuous extrusion apparatus (not shown) by a conventional strand advancing capstan (not shown) and through a conventional strand accumulator (not shown). The strand 11 is passed to and partially around a rotatab e guide sheave 18 and between a pair of spaced parallel guide fingers 19-19 which are secured to a conventional distributing carriage, designated generally by the numeral 21. The sheave 1S and the guide fingers 19-619 are moved transversely of either of the take-up reels 14-44 by the distributing carriage 21 to distribute the processed strand 11 evenly acrossthe winding surface thereof and to guide the strand 11 as the distributor carriage 21 is indexed from one of the take-up reels 1414 to the other during a cutover operation.

The distributor carriage 21 may be propelled by any of many well-known means, and is mounted slidably,-by a hearing 22, on a horizontal y extending transverse rod 23 which, in turn, is supported fixedly to theinverted V L -shaped, frame 12 adjacent to the opposing ends thereof 1 result of the rotation of the reels -14.1

by upright members 24-24, only one of which is illustrated in the drawings.

When one of the reels'14-:14 is rotated to take up the processed strand 11, the distributor carriage 21 is moved transversely of the winding surface, of that reel 14 and parallel to the'rotating axis thereof so as to move the guide fingers 19-;19 which, .in turn, direct the processed strand 11 evenly backiand forth along the winding surface of the reel .14 onto which the strand 11 is being taken up.

: In some of the formersnagging devices, portions of the strand 11 would become wedged very tightly in a .slot formed therein. strains would be set up in the material of the former snagging devices causing cracking therein as a result of operating personnel prying on the snagging fingers f the former devicesrin an attempt to remove the wedged strand .11 therefrom.

h In order to overcome this disadvantage, a plurality of snagging devices, designated generally by the numerals 26'-26 (see Figs. 2 and 3), are formed on the outer periphery of the rotating snagging discs 1616 connected to each of the reels 14-14 on adjacent sides thereof. The snagging devices include a plurality of snagging fingers 2727. The ends of the snagging fingers 2727 project in the direction of rotation of the take-up reels 14-ll4 and snagging discs the fingers 2727 have concave surfaces 3030, only one of which is illustrated in the drawings. The concave surfaces 30-30 of the fingers 2727 cooperate with a substantially complementary surface of an adjacent rounded portion of flanges 29-29 ofthe reels 1414 to form resilient, strand-receiving clamps, designated generally by the numerals 25--,25. A portion of the strand 11 is directed into the clamp 25 to connect the strand 11 to the snagging device 26 and thus the snagging disc 16 and take-up reel 14 associated therewith.- Each of the fingers 2727 is mounted pivotally in a bearing member 31 secured on the outer periphery of the disc 16. Each of the fingers 2727 is formed of a rod 16-16. Swaged portions of Detrimental stresses and resulting bent in a substantially U-shape with one end thereof beingsecured in the bearing member 31. An arm 32 is secured rigidly to one end of the finger 27 and is biased by a tension spring 33secured to a pin 38 on one end to'the arm 32 and at the other end to a bracket 34 on the disc 16.

The spring 33 urges the concave surface 30 of the .freeend of the finger 27 in a counterclockwise direction, as viewed in Fig. 2, against the rounded portions of the flange 29 of the associated reel 14. However, when the reel 14 is removed from the take-up apparatus 10, the movement of the free end of the finger 27 toward the flange 29 of the reel 14, in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 2, is limited by the arm 32 coming into abutment with a stop member 35. The stop memher is formed by removing a portion of the end of the hearing member 31.

This facilitatesthe insertion of an empty reel 14 in the take-up apparatus 10.

iAs the strand 11 is caught by the snagging finger 27 during a cutover operation and is forced toward the bend therein, thestrand 11 will be forced between the curved portion of the flange 29 and the substantially complementary concave surface 30 of the swaged portion of the finger 27 so that the strand 11 will be clamped n a tortuous path between the resiliently biased snagging finger 27 and the flange 29 of the associated reel 14.

In this way, each of the pivotally mounted, resiliently biased, snagging fingers 2727 cooperates with the flange 29 on the associated take-up reel 14 to form a resilient clamp into which the strand 11 is directed, caught and held in a tortuous path duringand after the strand 11 is cut by a conventional knife 37, secured to the support member 13 between the discs 16-16 as a and discs 16'-16 during the cutover operation. I w

' outwardly therefrom,

having-an end-secured pivotably to The improved snagging device 26 permits automatic removal of the caught portion of the strand 11 therefromwhen the filled reel 14 is removed from the take-up apparatus. In this way, cleaning of the snagging device 26 is eliminated, and thus cracking of the material of the snagging device 26 in an attempt to remove the strand 11 therefrom is eliminated.

It should be noted that the fingers 2727 could be positioned parallel to the flanges 29-29 of the reels 1414 so that the centrifugal forces acting thereon would not tend to cause the fingers to move away from the flanges. However, if the springs 33--33 are strong enough the fingers 27--27 will not move outwardly. Further counterweights (not shown) could be secured to the finger 27 to overcome the centrifugal forces on the finger and urge the finger against the associated flange 29 during rotation of the associated reel 14.

It is to be understood that the above-described arrange ments are simply illustrative of the application of the principles of the invention. Other arrangements may be devised by those skilled in the art which will embody the principles of the invention and fall within the spirit and scope thereof.

What is claimed is:

1. An improved snagging device for strands, which comprises a removably mounted, rotatahlydriven takeup reel having a flange on one end thereof, a rotatable snagging disc mounted adjacent to and coaxially with the flange of the take-up reel and connected operably to the take-up reel for rotation therewith, a snagging member having an end secured pivotably to the snagging disc and having a free end projecting outwardly and in the direction of rotation of the take-up reel to form a snagging finger, resilient means for urging the free end of the snagging member into cooperative engagement with the-flange .of the take-up reel to form a resilient clamp for the strand, and means for driving the snagging disc in unison with the take-up reel so that as a portion of strand is caught by the snagging finger and is directed into the clamp the strand is held thereby and is automatically released when the reel is removed from the device. 1

2. An improved snagging device for strands, which comprises a removably mounted, rotatably driven take-up reel having a substantially circular flange on one end thereof, the flange having a convex surface projecting a rotatable snagging disc mounted adjacent to and coaxially with the flange of the take-up reel and connected operahly to the take-up reel for rotation therewith, a substantially U-shaped snagging member having an end secured pivotably to the snagging disc and having a free end projecting outwardly and in the direction of rotation of the take-up reel to form a snagging finger, the free end of the U-shaped member having a concave'surface on the side thereof adjacent to the flange, resilient means for urging the concave surface of the free end of the snagging member into cooperative engagement with the convex surface of the flange of the take-up reel to form a resilient clamp for the strand, and means for driving the snagging disc in unison with the take-up reel so that as a portion of strand is caught by the snagging'finger and is directed into the clamp the strand is held between the concave and convex surfaces and is automatically released when the reel is removed from the device;

3. An improved snagging device for strands, which comprises a removably mounted, rotatably driven take-up reel'having a substantially circular flange on one end thereof, the flange having a convex surface projecting outwardly therefrom, a rotatable snagging disc mounted adjacent to and coaxially with the flange of the take-up reel and connected operably to the take-up reel for rotation therewith, a substantially u shaped snagging member the snagging disc and having a free end projecting outwardly and in the direction of rotation of the take-up reel to form a snagging finger, the free end of the U-shaped member having a concave surface on the side thereof adjacent to the flange, resilient means for urging the concave surface of the free end of the snagging member into cooperative engagement with the convex surface of the flange of the take-up reel to form a resilient clamp for the strand, means for driving the snagging disc in unison with the take-up reel so that as a portion of strand is caught by the snagging finger and is directed into the clamp the strand is held between the concave and convex surfaces and is automatically released when the reel is removed from the device, and stop means for limiting the travel of the free end of the U-shaped member toward the flange when the take-up reel is removed from the device to facilitate subsequent insertion of an empty take-up reel in the device.

4. An improved snagging device for strands, which comprises a removably mounted, rotatably driven take-up reel having a flange on one end thereof, a rotatable snagging disc mounted adjacent to and coaxially with the flange of the take-up reel and connected operably to the take-up reel for rotation therewith, a cylindrically shaped bearing member secured to the outer periphery of the snagging disc, a substantially U-shaped snagging member having an end secured pivotably to the snagging disc in the bearing member and having a free end projecting outwardly and in the direction of rotation of the take-up reel to form a snagging finger, an arm secured to the end of the U-shaped member in the bearing member, a tension spring connected between'the arm and the disc for urging the free end of the snagging member into cooperative engagement with the flange of the take-up reel to form a resilient clamp for the strand, means for driving the snagging disc in unison with the take-up reel so that as a portion of strand is caught by the snagging finger and is directed into the clamp the strand is held thereby and is automatically released when the reel is removed from the device, and stop means formed integrally with the bearing members to engage the arm and limit the movement of the snagging finger in the direction urged by the spring.

5. An improved apparatus for taking up strands continuously, which comprises a plurality of juxtaposed, removable, rotatably driven, coaxially mounted take-up reels having flanges on adjacent ends thereof, a rotatable snagging disc mounted adjacent to and coaxialiy with each of the adjacent flanges of the take-up reels and connected operably to the associated take-up reel for rotation therewith, a plurality of substantially U-shaped snagging members having ends secured pivotably to the snagging discs and having free ends projecting outwardly and in the direction of rotation of the take-up reels to form a plurality of snagging fingers, resilient means for urging the free ends of the snagging members into cooperative engagement with the associated flanges of the take-up reels to form resilient clamps for the strand, means for driving the snagging discs in unison with the take-up reels so that as the strand is transferred from one take-up reel to the other a portion of the strand is caught by one of the snagging fingers on each snagging disc and is directed into one of the clamps associated with each reel and the strand is automatically released from the clamps when the reels are subsequently removed from the apparatus.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

